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A Sneak Peek At Europa Universalis IV

I had a chance to play a beta of Europa Universalis IV several weeks ago, in a big multiplayer demo for journalists. My career as ruler of Denmark was so spectacularly abysmal that if Hamlet were still around in the 15th Century, he would have thrown himself off the castle walls.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed the game. And it is safe to say that if you enjoy deep, complicated RTS strategy games of the 15th through 18th centuries, you will like EU IV, which is slated for release on August 13. I asked Paradox Development Studio to list the differences between EU IV and its predecessor EU III. They sent back a 10,000-word response! I’ve summarized some of the major changes in the game below:

A new Monarch system. Monarchs accrue monarch power points monthly in administrative, diplomatic and military pools, which can be spent on tasks like constructing buildings, researching technology, increasing political stability, and reducing inflation.

Advisers. Advisers have been consolidated into three groups that enhance a monarch’s administrative, diplomatic and military capabilities. They also cost much more to retain (a change I was acutely aware of when I played a smaller power like Denmark).

Trade. There are now trade routes, and fleets are necessary to protect those routes – or block those of your enemies. Merchants can be sent to foreign provinces to boost trade.

Easier technological progress for the weak. Technology is now governed by a monarch’s power rather than budget, which is mean to give poorer powers such as the Ottomans and China a chance to narrow the technological gap versus wealthier European rivals.

A more sophisticated system of international relations. EU IV is borrowing the concept of “relationship modifiers” from the well-regarded Crusader Kings II. Players will be able to see the variables affecting their relationship with other powers, and those relationships will affect a player’s ability to conduct certain actions such as declaring war.

Coalitions. One of the most annoying features of Europa Universalis has been the barrage of alliance offers from AI-controlled nations, which you mostly reject for fear of becoming embroiled in some silly local war. EU IV has a Coalition feature that allows alliances – and their accompanying obligation to go to war – to apply only against a specific nation.

An improved combat system. “Battles in EU3 were not really fun enough for us,” Paradox said. “You either ran into ping-pong situations, chasing an army you could not destroy from one province to the next, or the war was decided in one battle which meant a lot of shifting idle armies from city to city.” So, Paradox has added a “shatter” feature that means low-morale armies that lose a battle may retreat two or three provinces away rather than one, while even a winning army can suffer disorganization that renders it ineffective while it slowly recovers morale. And the reason why 18th Century rulers tended to be cautious about risking their expensive armies will become evident now that EU IV has doubled the cost of replacements.

Religion. As befits such a colorful and controversial topic, EU IV has an expanded religious game system. The Catholic, Orthodox Christian and Muslim religions have unique features in the game. “For example, both Sunni and Shiite Islam have a larger chance of producing an heir, and therefore maintaining their legitimacy,” notes Paradox.

The Reformation. Players have more influence over if and when the Protestant Reformation is triggered, through a mechanism called Reform Desire. “Whenever Catholic countries opt for short-term gains at the expense of the legitimacy of the church in various events and decisions, the Reform Desire slowly rises,” Paradox says. “This reflects growing disenchantment with Rome and with duplicitous monarchs that claim to be following the word of God.”

Hot-joining. Players who find themselves disconnected from a multiplayer game will have an easier time rejoining.

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